


Go Tigers!

by somebodywakeuphicks



Series: Joyce and Hopper Need Each Other-One Shots [4]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Helicopter parenting started with these two, Hopper and Joyce bring out the best in one another, Joyce and Hopper are meant to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 03:50:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13473102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somebodywakeuphicks/pseuds/somebodywakeuphicks
Summary: Will and El's first day in high schoolJoyce and Hopper can't deal.





	Go Tigers!

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fourth work of a sequence of Jopper one shots.
> 
> All stories in this series will have different ratings, so please be aware of that. They may involve different characters and POV, but they are all centered on Hopper and Joyce's relationship in some way.

_Joyce Byers_

 

She’d survived it before. But this time, Joyce sat in the driver’s seat of her green Pinto, smoking a cigarette, her knuckles turning white, death grip on the steering wheel. The last time she did it, her naivety protected her emotions. Back then, she didn’t know that her whole world would be thrown into a tailspin. Sure, there was Lonnie, but lots of people suffered through turbulent divorces. The awareness of another dimension, one so depraved, it almost stole her boy away forever, didn’t even register as a blip on her radar.

 _No_ , she thought, inhaling before blowing the smoke from her lips. _This time, it’s different._

A knock on the window ripped Joyce from her thoughts. She brightened, rolling it down. “Hopper!”

“Hey. I thought I saw a beautiful brunette sitting in this death trap. Figured I’d warn her and get her number at the same time.”

“I got it fixed after the recall. Get in.”

Hopper walked around to the passenger side door, opening it and sliding in next to Joyce. “You know you’re not supposed to smoke in a school zone.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that to me since we started dating. You trying to tell me something?”

“Yeah, that you’re a lawbreaker.” Hoper pulled out his own hand-rolled cigarette, lighting it.

“A lawbreaker dating a cop, at that.”

“Mhm. I might have to take you in for questioning. And a strip search, perhaps.”

“You might have to.”

Hopper pulled his hat from his head, grinning. “Is it hot in here?”

“It _is_ August,” Joyce replied.

Hopper looked toward the high school across the road. “I assume you’re here for the same reason I am?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Well, school started a half hour ago. Knowing you, I figured I’d find you here, having an internal freak out.”

Joyce turned to Hopper. “I am. I just—with everything that’s happened, I’m nervous. Hell, way more than nervous. Paranoid. During the summer, I knew where my boys were at all times. I don’t have that control, anymore.”

Hopper put his cigarette out in Joyce’s ashtray, listening.

“How are you keeping it together?” she asked.

“Keeping it together? You’re not the only one sitting outside the high school. All I wanna do right now is march into that school, pull El out, and keep her safe at home forever. But I know I can’t do that.”

“You and me both, Hop.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“I bet we could go in. Just to check on them. Make sure everything’s on the up and up,” Hopper suggested.

“What are we waiting for, then?” Joyce leapt out of the car, practically sprinting for the school as Hopper followed closely behind.

When they got to the office, Hopper greeted the receptionist and principal, tipping his hat. “Morning, Ms. Stevens. Mr. Jenkins.”

“What can I do for you, Chief Hopper?” the principal asked.

“Ah, see, I think I accidentally stuck my keys in my daughter’s bag. Joyce, here, had to drive me over, and I’d appreciate if I could stop by her class to grab them.”

“Jane Hopper, right? I can call her to the office for you if you’d like.”

“She actually goes by El. I’d rather not pull her out of class. It will only take a second.”

“Sure, that’s fine.” Mr. Jenkins opened his filing cabinet, flipping through some files. “Here it is. She’s in algebra first period. Room 34. If you go right out the door, swing a left down the first hallway, and her room will be on the left.”

“Thanks a bunch.”

Joyce eyed Hopper.

“Oh, and can you tell me where Will Byers is?”

Mr. Jenkins peered up from his chair. “Uh, okay…it looks like Will is in room 52. Earth science.”

“Perfect. Thanks so much. How’s the wife? Catherine, right?”

“She’s great. Thanks for asking. She really appreciated it when you came to check on the house after she thought she heard a funny noise outside.”

“Hey, no problem. It’s what I do. Thanks, again.”

Hopper and Joyce made a right out the door.

“It’s what I do?” Joyce cocked a smile.

“Well, it is.”

“So _schmoozy_.”

The pair made their way down the hallway, stopping in front of Room 34. Hopper peered inside the windowed door, trying to remain unseen.

“What do you see?” Joyce asked.

“You won’t believe it.”

“Oh my god, what?”

“High schoolers. Doing algebra.” He turned, a shit-eating grin stretched across his face.

“Hop!” Joyce smacked his arm.

“Fine, El’s in there, looking real bored. Seems about right.”

“Let’s go find Will.” Joyce strode down the hallway to Room 52, displeased to find that the door had no window.

“What now?” Joyce fretted, chewing her lip.

“I guess we leave.”

“No, that’s not fair. You got to see that El was okay. I want to see that Will’s okay.”

“Well, I don’t know what else to—”

The bell rang.

“Oh, shit.” Joyce backed up, looking for someplace to hide. Nothing jumped out at her as a good hiding spot, so she attempted to shield herself with Hopper’s body.

“Joyce, what the—”

Will walked out the door, chatting with a classmate. When he saw Hopper standing in the middle of the hallway, he stopped. “Hopper? What are you doing here?”

Joyce peeked out from behind him.

“Mom?”

“Would it make you feel better if I told you there’s no emergency?”

“No, that’s worse. You can’t follow me everywhere!”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

“Yeah. You will. And we’ll definitely be talking about this at home tonight,” Will said.

“Can you, uh, not tell El I was here?” Hopper asked.

“Oh, I’m going to tell her.”

“Damn it.”

“I gotta get to my next class. _Please leave_.”

Hopper and Joyce made their way down the hallway toward the office, but before they could get there, a familiar face rounded the corner, almost running right into them.

“Hopper!”

“Cindy.” He nodded.

_Shit._

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Just getting some keys from El. _Bye_.” Hopper rushed down the hallway, pulling Joyce with him.

When they made it outside, they had a laugh at their stupidity. “We are gonna be in deep shit tonight,” Joyce chuckled, shrugging her shoulders.

“Definitely.”

“Don’t you have to go to work?” Joyce asked.

“In time.”

“Well, whaddaya wanna do?”

“I believe I was about to take you in for questioning. For that cigarette, you know.”

Joyce threw a sly smile his way. “You have to catch me, first,” she said, sprinting for her car.


End file.
